This was a remarkable tasting: a chance to try a
vertical from one of Italy’s most celebrated producers, Gianfranco
Soldera. The wines are very expensive and hard to get hold of, made
in tiny quantities, so it was wonderful to be able to try them just
after I’d come back from a quick holiday in the region. Even
better, the tasting was set in the context of a lunch at The Square,
one of London’s very best restaurants. It was a memorable
experience.

The wines were presented by Zubair Mohammed of Raeburn
(www.raeburnfinewines.com)
who imports them into the UK. Gianfranco’s daughter Monica was
supposed to be coming over, but some problems at home meant that
sadly she was unable to travel. So Zubair gave an introduction to
Gianfranco Soldera, as well as presenting the wines.

‘Brunello is a very mixed bag with a variety of
styles from traditional to new barrique style’, says Zubair.
‘For me it should be Italy’s greatest wine; I’ve had the
privelige to taste a lot of old vintages and this has the potential
to be Italy’s longest-lived wine.’ He adds that, ‘Sadly, it
doesn’t live up to its potential very often.’

Gianfranco began working in Brunello in the 1970s.
‘He’s quite dogmatic,’ says Zubair, ‘but with the kind of
product he has it is not a bad thing to be confident!’

Intistieti was the first vineyard he planted in 1971,
from which he made his first Brunello in 1977. In 1972 he planted
another vineyard, Casse Basse, which is slightly lower with heavier
soils, making wines that are richer and more tannic. Casse Basse is
also the name of Gianfranco’s estate. Intistieti is poorer soil,
higher up, and makes wines that are perhaps finer in their youth but
which have no problem with staying power. Both age remarkably well.

Initially, the Casa Basse grapes were used to make a
Vino da Tavola Rosso, and only with the 1988 vintage did Gianfranco
use this vineyard to make Brunello. Altogether, he has some 8
hectares, and with phenomenally low yields this results in some 15
000 bottles annually.

The vineyards are managed naturally, as an integrated
ecosystem where refuge areas are set aside for natural predators. No
herbicides are used and the fertilizers applied are organic.
Gianfranco’s wife Graziella is a world authority on wild roses and
the Casse Basse estate has a large collection of these. The vines
themselves are clones Gianfranco isolated from old vineyards, which
he propagated himself.

Zubair says that Casse Basse is his ‘favourite estate
anywhere in the world’. And he’s visited a few…

Interestingly, Gianfranco sets aside a certain amount
of his turnover (10% according to Zubair) for research in
viticulture and winemaking. He’s a great believer in tradition,
but also has a scientific approach. The cellar is constructed
naturally with no cement or foreign materials. Zubair describes it
as ‘very beautiful and very simple’.

Soldera has been good friends for thirty years with
Giulio Gambelli, who is celebrated as one of the greatest experts on
Sangiovese. Gambelli is now in his 80s and still consults for
Soldera. Zubair says that he’s a remarkable man, and is an
important part of the way that Soldera works. Winemaking here is
traditional, with a long maceration with some pumping over before
ageing in large Slavonian barrels (botti) for 48–65 months. He
uses very little sulphur dioxide.

Soldera Vigna Institieti 2001 Brunello di Montalcino RiservaAromatically rich, brooding, complex sweet red fruits with some
spicy warmth. There are hints of earth and herbs, as well as a bit
of vanilla. The palate is very spicy and quite tannic with warm,
earthy notes and amazing density and brooding complexity. A
powerful, youthful wine in a traditional style. 95/100

Soldera Vigna Institieti 2000 Brunello di Montalcino RiservaCherry and berry fruit on the nose with some spiciness. Complex
and dense with lovely purity. The palate is earthy and spicy with
firm tannins that really grip the mouth. Lovely acidity, too. A
really dense, tight, complex wine that’s really structured. Needs
time, but will probably be for earlier drinking than the other wines
here. 93/100

Soldera
Vigna Casse Basse 1999 Brunello di MontalcinoVery warm, open and rich. Quite sweet on the nose with floral,
sweet cherry and tar notes together with a bit of raspberry fruit.
The palate is dense and powerful with some spicy tannins under the
ripe fruit. A dense, robust, tannic wine with some earthiness.
Thrilling. 95/100

Soldera
Vigna Casse Basse 1994 Brunello di MontalcinoSmooth and pure with warm spicy red fruits and a hint of
tarriness. The palate is fresh and spicy with a bright middle and
fresh, acidic, slightly metallic finish. Complex and beguiling, and
a little wild. 94/100